Constant-level device for storage batteries.



E. w. SMITH.

CONSTANT LEVEL DEVICE FOR STORAGE BATTERIES. APPLICATION FILED 601 .4,1904.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

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aw masxmwm UNIFIED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

l,,.l)'\- A'liD SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA,- PENNSYLVANIA.

CONSTANT-LEVEL DEVICE FOR STORAGE BATTERIES.

1-1 pplication filed October 4,

To all orb rm it may concern:

Be it known that .l, EDWARD W. SMITH, a citiycn ot' the United State andre idcnt of Philadelphia, in the county ol Philadelphia and State oi.lWinsylvania, hare invented a certain new and useful (oustant-lmwlllevicc l'or Storage .lhmtteries. oi which the following is a s.-eci'fication.

The changing den ity ot-t he elcetrolvtc due to charge and di.-'chorcjeoi a su'orage battery is a guide or indicat on ol' illworking-s.irovisions have been suggested lor eliminating: from cmisideration suchdensity changes as are due to dillcrent i(1l1})(1itl11l'08, and

it is one object of the present invention to provide for eliminatinganother source ol error or inaccuracy which would arise by reason ofevaporation.

Another object of the invention is to provide for automaticallymaintaining a constant level of the electrolyte.

Another object of the. invention is to pro-' vide a comparatively simpleand satisfactory piece of apparatus for automatically introducing somuch fluid to the electrolyte as is necessary to keep the same at aconstant level.

To these and other ends hereinafter set forth the invention comprisesthe inmrovcments to be. presently described and linally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features and scope ol the invention will bemore. fully understood from the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof and inwhich Figures 1 and 2 are side views partly in sec tion oi apparatusembodying features of the invention and illustrating respectively themovable parts of the ap ntratus in dill'm'ent positions, and Fig. 3, isa view principally in elevation showing the apparatus in application toa cell.

In the drawings 1, is a tube provided at its lower end. with an outlet2. Intermediate oi" theends of the tube, but so as not to communicatewith the interior thereof there branches 9. support 3 enlarged at itsupper end 4 for the reception of a closure 5. This support is providedwith an inlet 6 which communicates with its interior.

7, is a U-shaped tube one end of Which penetrates the closure and theother end of which depends or projects downward into the top ol thetube 1. As shown, this do- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

1904. Serial No. 227,108.

pending end i.- tapered and constitutes a valve Htit.

H, is a sleeve slidable on the tube 1 and at its upper end it i. prmidcd with a stoppered depression .10. which constitutes a valve arrangedto cooperate with the seat on the end of the tube. The walk "of thisdepression. are perforated as indicated at 11. The parts 3 and 7 takentogether constitute what may be termed. a goosemcck. The sleeve 9isprovided with dmvnwardly curved. depending arms 12 which terminate inlloats 13.

The whole instrument is well adapted to be made ot glass, though notnecessarily constructed ot that material.

lu use the described instrument is arranged 'prelcra bly, in what is callcd a pilot cell, that is to ay. one of the cells of the battery,typical of the others and well adapted for purposes of observation, forcxa1nplc,'by applying to it suitable instruments for measuring changesin the density of its electrolyte and making such corrections as may benecessary for determining only those changes in the electrolyte whichare due to the workings of the battery. The. tank 14 and plates 15 maybe assumed to be parts of such a pilot cell. The tube 1 is arranged inthe pilot cell so that the outlet 2 is near the bottom of the electrolto 1.6 in the cell. The purpose of this is hot water or other ttluidintroduced to maintain the level of the electrolyte constant should beintroduced at the bottom, otherwise it will not be properly ditlused.The tube 1 may be supported in vertical position in any convenient way.As shown a projection on it is illustrated as resting upon the tops ofthe plates. Of course the floats 13 must be buoyed by the liquid. Theinlet connection is placed in communication with asuitable source ofsupply. Should water eva orate from the electrolyte it), it is obvious tat its density would increase and such increase would interfere with theascertainment of density changes due to the workings of the battery.However, eva oration of the electrolyte would cause the oats to fallwith the result that water would enter by Way of 6, 7, past theapertures 10 and through the tube 1, so as to compensate for loss bevaporation. As soon as the proper love had been reached the floatswould rise lifting the sleeve 9 and valve 10, thus closing the escapefrom the U-shaped tube and cutting off the sup ly of fluid. In this waythe level of the e eetube arranged to ischarge water from trolyte in thecell is kept substantially constant.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my inventionrelates that modifications maybe made in details without departing fromthe spirit thereof, hence the invention is not limited further than theprior state of the art may require, but

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention What Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Thecombination of a storage battery tank containing electrolyte and fromthe top of which water eva orates, a Water supplyi1 a t e supply to nearthe bottom of the electrolyte, and'a float device including a valve fornormally separating the Water supply and electrolyte to prevent theircommingling and said valve adapted to open only when the level of theelectrolyte falls.

' 2. A storage battery electrolyte constant level device comprising atube having an outlet at or near its lower end and a support branchingfrom its intermediate portion, an inlet communicating With the support,a

closure for the support, an inverted U-shaped tube penetrating theclosure and dipping into the upper end of the tube, a sleeve slidable onthe tube and provided at its upper and with a depression constituting avalvefor the end of the U-sha ed tube and having a perforated Wall, andarms branching from the sleeve and respectively provided With floats,substantially as described.

3. A' storage battery electrolyte constant level device comprisin a tubehavin an outlet at or near one end and provided with a goose-neckarranged to discharge into the other end, inlet connections through thegoose-neck, and a sleeve slidable on the tube and provided with a floatdevice, and with valve means for opening and closing the goose-neckinlet connections, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signedmy name;

EDWARD W. SMITH.

l/Vitnesses Burton FORD,

GEO. M. HOWARD.

